Optimizing Aircraft Flows at Airports Using Data Driven Predicted Capabilities

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the minimum required inter-aircraft spacing value comprises a minimum value for vortex effects, an excess spacing value for buffers, and a variable spacing value, and wherein the minimum required inter-aircraft spacing value varies as the minimum value for vortex effects varies and the variable spacing value varies.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the variable spacing value accounts for an observed range of pilot-induced effects on inter-aircraft spacing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the airport data comprise runway length and direction, a number of runways in operation, and arrival and departure routes available from the runways in operation during the time period, wherein the aircraft data comprise a number of expected aircraft arriving and departing during the time period, aircraft weight class and aircraft type for each arriving and departing aircraft during the time period, and wherein the environmental data comprise meteorological data including surface air temperature, ceiling, visibility, and wind speed and wind direction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the trained Bayesian network is trained using historical data including historical airport data, historical aircraft data for the airport, and historical meteorological data for the airport, the method further comprising periodically retraining and reverifying operation of the Bayesian network.

13. The air traffic control system of claim 10, wherein the airport data comprise runway length and direction, a number of runways in operation, and arrival and departure routes available from the runways in operation during the time period, wherein the aircraft data comprise a number of expected aircraft arriving and departing during the time period, aircraft weight class and aircraft type for each arriving and departing aircraft during the time period, and wherein the environmental data comprise meteorological data including surface air temperature, ceiling, visibility, and wind speed and wind direction.

14. The air traffic control system of claim 10, wherein the minimum required inter-aircraft spacing comprises a minimum value for vortex effects, an excess spacing value for buffers, and a variable spacing value, and wherein the minimum required inter-aircraft spacing value varies as the minimum value for vortex effects varies and the variable spacing value varies.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of data types comprise airport data related to movement areas of the airport; time data related to the time period of the aircraft operations at the airport; aircraft data related to a plurality of aircraft expected to operate into and out of the airport during the time period; and environmental data related to environmental conditions predicted for the airport during the time period.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the airport data comprise runway length and direction, a number of runways in operation, and arrival and departure routes available from the runways in operation during the time period, wherein the aircraft data comprise a number of expected aircraft arriving and departing during the time period, and aircraft weight class and aircraft type for each arriving and departing aircraft during the time period, and wherein the environmental data comprise meteorological data including surface air temperature, ceiling, visibility, and wind speed and wind direction.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the minimum required inter-aircraft spacing value comprises a minimum value for vortex effects, an excess spacing value for buffers, and a variable spacing value, and wherein the minimum required inter-aircraft spacing value varies as the minimum value for vortex effects varies and the variable spacing value varies.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the variable spacing value accounts for pilot-induced spacing effects.